Doves, Chooks, Pen and Ink!

Life has kept me away from my blog this past few days.  Every time I thought, yes, sit down and update the news someone has called me away, or called me up or generally distracted me.  It's all very inconvenient, you would think they would have more consideration for my literary (cough) needs.  Anyway, onto the news...

Firstly Snowdrop is fine.  I do apologise for not updating about her.  I kept expecting to get frantic phone calls from well wishers requesting news.  But no it looks like no one else is as sad as me and obsessed with my chickens!  It turned out she was trying to lay again, poor love.  When she got up the next day there was one of her little soft eggs sitting broken in the nest box.  It makes me so sad to see them, thinking what the poor little thing has to go through to lay them and they can't even be eaten.  I've got her on wet go-cat and cod liver oil as well as her layers mash and limestone flour now.  I'm also worming all of them again.  Just to be sure.

The new girls are settling in fine.  They go to bed on their own now which was a big relief to me on their second night.  They are pooping for England and it pongs.  I mean the other chooks hum a bit but in a nice chooky sort of way.  This is just plain nostril burning stench.  I am hoping that it settles down when they are eating the same as the others cos it don't half pen and ink!  It makes poo pick time most unpleasant.  I have a few suggestions to try, live yoghurt being my favourite.  I've always wanted to make my own yoghurt so now I have an excuse.  I have named three of them but am still head scratching about the fourth.  I did have a name but I'm not sure about it yet so won't officially announce their names till I have the full set.

The original girls are very interested in the newbies.  They sit outside their pen clucking away.  It was hilarious this morning to see little bullied Snowdrop squaring up to the Amber Ranger through the wire.  I doubt she would be that brave without the wire though, the other hen was rearing up and trying to kick like a cock bird! Lets pray she is a hen shall we, the way my luck goes I will have four cockerels by mistake...

I have had some lovely moments with the doves recently.  The other evening Pinky came and landed on my head which I love, it reminds me of when she lived indoors with me.  She does it every few days or so but this time when I got her down onto my shoulder May came and sat on my head in her place.  Then Daisy kept dive bombing her trying to knock her off so she could sit there.  Needless to say I was loving the attention!

They still  all roost over the road every night.  It's driving me nuts.  They spend lots of time here sitting in the tree behind the dovecote and on the bird tables but always vanish over there to roost.  Last night I went over there at dusk and caught them out.  I really don't know what they are up to, Daisy and May were sitting huddled together on a window ledge and one of the others (couldn't see who in the gloom) was sitting in one of the roof valleys.  I imagine the others were tucked away somewhere out of view.  They looked very embarrassed when they saw me!  I can't imagine the new people putting up with birds on the window ledge at night and surely when it's occupied they won't like it so much.  I just want them to come home!

"Come out and play with me"